Wednesday, 4 March 2015

Ponyfic Roundup 47: Quick March

It's Ponyfic Roundup time again, so don't let me stop you. This week, I'll be reviewing fics under 1,500 words. Since they're so short, I've been able to get through twelve of the things this time. No five-star or one-star fics in this little lot, which was a bit of a disappointment. Keen-eyed readers will notice that this is the second week running I've reviewed a Blueshift piece; I didn't originally intend to, but I've been meaning to read this particular fic for ages and it turned out to qualify here.

I'm going to try putting a list of the fics I'll be reviewing above the break, so here goes:

A Spoonful of Sugar by ThornwingDiamond Tiara and Silver SpoonSad/Slice of Life; 1K words; Jan 2015; Everyone
Silver Spoon hosts a tea party for the CMC. Sort of. This is a genuinely moving look at Silver Spoon through her own eyes, especially her relationship with Diamond Tiara. The formatting removes one mystery straight away, but one moment in particular is utterly heartbreaking. ★★★★

Other stories

Abandoned Sanctuary by Titanium DragonApplejack and FluttershyDark; 1K words; Jan 2014; Teen
A follow-up to "Bats!" (which, unfashionably, I quite like) in which Applejack is evasive when Fluttershy asks why the sanctuary is now empty. It's a bit too obvious with where it's going, and Fluttershy seems rather dense, but there's a nicely uncomfortable atmosphere. ★★★

Chompers by SpaceCommieApplejack and ColgateComedy/Slice of Life; 1K words; Oct 2014; Everyone
An unwilling Applejack is finally pushed into going to the dentist. (Guess who?) There are some nice lines here (mouthwash "tasted like silence and unrequited love"), but it's let down by the narrator's asides, which are intrusive and annoying. Would be a fairly easy three without those. ★★

Flying on Wings of Support by ManaphyFluttershy and SpitfireSlice of Life; 1K words; Jun 2014; Everyone
This is set during the events of "Hurricane Fluttershy"; Spitfire encounters a miserable 'Shy and tries to support her. A nice idea, and technically this is pretty solid. I like this Spitfire, too. Unfortunately it's very tell-y, too much so even for me (the start especially) and the resolution is far too quick. ★★

Living for Today by Minds EyeRumble and FeatherweightComedy; 1K words; Jun 2014; Everyone
All-dialogue fics are hard to pull off. This one, which made Twilight's Library, does better than most and uses unusual characters to boot. Rumble has too old a voice, but otherwise it's amusing enough, with a nice ending. ★★★

Running by Wanderer DOctaviaSlice of Life; 1K words; Jul 2014; Everyone
Octavia feels the pressure and needs to get away. A very atmospheric piece, and it's so nice to have an Octavia fic that doesn't also feature Vinyl. I like Octavia's song, too. Published unedited, which explains the occasional typo, but a very solid and satisfying little tale. ★★★★

Still a Better Love Story Than Twilight by meme-asaurusTwilight and BluebloodRomance/Comedy/Slice of Life; 1K words; Apr 2013; Everyone
Blueblood courts Princess Twilight; things don't go very well. But...? Another story with an intrusive narrator, and for a non-Random story it's a bit, well, random at times. The punchline is in the A/N at the end and isn't that amusing; as a whole, this is a "meh" story for me. ★★

Trains are Magic by RainbowBobRainbow Dash, Rarity and FluttershyComedy; 1K words; May 2014; Teen
The ponies are trains. Trainbow Dash, for example. That's it, really. I'd like to give this minus stars for foisting (a version of) that bloody King of the Hill meme on Fluttershy. Sadly, bits of it are actually fairly funny, so I'll have to award it two. ★★

Tuesday by BokOCSlice of Life; 1K words; Jul 2012; Everyone
A pony goes shopping and makes a sandwich. That's it, really (again). This got a Seattle's Angels rec for, as far as I can see, being a writing exercise. It also has a few silly typos. Even I found this a bit dull, and I like really slicey Slice of Life. ★★

Twilight Sparkle and the Nothingness at the End of the Universe by Super TrampolineTwilight and OtherRomance/Dark/Random/Slice of Life; 1K words; Jun 2014; Teen
Time itself is running out, and Twi's getting married. All three hyperlinks annoyed me to varying degrees. That said, although uneven, this is an amusing bit of silliness, all leading up to a last line that... well, I laughed. Just scrapes a three for that fact alone. ★★★

What Happens When Stuff Happens by ThatWeatherstormChapMane Six, Derpy and SpikeRandom; 1K words; Jul 2012; Everyone
The synopsis is in the title. Stuff starts happening all over the place: can the ponies (and dragon) cope? This shouldn't work, but somehow it (mostly) does. Even the ending, which is ridiculous, now-outdated and the sort of thing I usually hate, is somehow quite funny. ★★★